View source for Image from the Wizard Torn 2

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<nfm>[[File:Tornlog.png|thumb|right| logo derived from Angela Taylor's beautiful art for Grand Tribunal 2008]]</nfm>

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=Image From The Wizard Torn 2=

==An Online Ars Magica Weekend; 5th to 7th February 2021==
 
Hello and welcome to ''Image'' as I call the con when time is short. This is our second run, so I am going to put the start putting up a lot of material. 
Firstly, I am listing the games available and various sessions here.  Obviously games are by their nature limited in how many players they can take, and I think the only fair way is to assign people first come first served. Hopefully there will be enough games for everyone to play at least twice over the weekend, and many of you will find once quite enough. If you are the kind of person who enjoys this you should probably also think about registering and buying a ticket for '''Grand Tribunal 2021''' [http://www.grandtribunal.org/ from here]. 

First of all though, let us start with...

==How To Register==

The convention is free all we ask is that you play games and enjoy them, with courtesy and consideration, and maybe consider coming to Grand Tribunal 2021 if you can. The last couple of years have been difficult, and last year extremely so - but we carry on! :) So if you would like to buy a ticket for Grand Tribunal please do -- [http://www.grandtribunal.org/wiki/Tickets buy tickets here for 2021]; and obviously continue to support [http://www.atlas-games.com/ Atlas Games'] [http://www.atlas-games.com/arm5/ Ars Magica] role-playing game. Maybe go buy yourself a gift there? You can also support our friends at ''Sub Rosa'' magazine. 

Despite being free, we do as you to register; to give [[CJ]] permission to mail you about the convention, and ask you to let him know if you are offering games. The Registration form is here
https://forms.gle/t6v4yqsp4BXxCLcB9

==How To Offer A Game==

We very much encourage you to offer to run an ''Ars Magica'' scenario, or even a different Atlas Games rpg (''Unknown Armies, Rune, Feng Shui'' etc) at the convention. All you have to do is fill in this form: [https://forms.gle/gp1bikxPjDCXFpTM9 offer a game here!] and [[CJ]] will message you to confirm.

==Schedule for the Weekend (will update frequently)==  

The current proposed schedule is (ALL TIMES ARE GMT) as follows

'''FRIDAY 5th February''' 

8.30PM to 9.30PM GMT ZOOM SOCIAL AND INTRODUCTIONS

Come along, make friends, talk about ''Ars Magica''. You will just click on a link  join us but do get a microphone  and if you wish  - it is optional - a  camera ready. All you need is to have registered so I can send you the email link or use the link below

CJ Romer is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Image from The Wizard Torn
Time: Feb 5, 2021 08:30 PM London

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81602353573
 

9.30PM to 10.30PM GMT DISCORD SOCIAL AND INTRODUCTIONS

For those who don't get on with Zoom, the [https://discord.gg/yZPAxnvcn7 Image From The Wizard Torn Discord server] will be the place to meet and chat.

==Videos for your Viewing Pleasure==

There is also be a program of pre-recorded videos, and interviews with other ''Ars Magica'' fans.   

[https://youtu.be/xG7Nk1Joxn4 Timothy Ferguson chats with CJ]

[https://youtu.be/Wo424j-VLjU Interview with David Chart] (and what CJ looks like when woken up suddenly!)


===SATURDAY 6th February=== 

The day will be divided in to four sessions. If you are going to offer a game please let me know which slots suit you best. I have done my best to ensure all relevant time zones are covered to some extents, so everyone can make at least one session.  Pregenerated characters will be provided for each game by the Storyguide. Additional Session times can be scheduled on request for international games - just email chrisjensenromer@hotmail.com with details.

'''SESSION 1''': 10AM to 2PM GMT 

* [[She don't lie, She don't lie, She don't lie]] by [[CJ]]. Five apprentices decide to sneak out of the covenant and go to the fair. What can go wrong? 
 

'''SESSION 2''': 2.30PM to 6.30PM
  
* [[Passion Runs Hot]] by [[Anders Håkon Gaut]], Ars Magica for up to six players! This could very well run with "Bring your own" character if the characters are not too powerful. Running on Discord in Game Room 1
This game is NOW FULL. '''Players are Sunette, Tom, Anna, Christopher B, Sheila and Yves.''' 
 

'''SESSION 3''': 7PM to 11PM

*  [[The Price of Euphoria]] by [[Sunette la Grange]], Ars Magica for up to Four players!  Three apprentices and a seasoned knight investigate the motives of a mysterious cult that preach enlightenment through indulgence and pleasure.  To make matters complicated, the only daughter of the local lord has managed to get herself mixed up with them and her father disapproves strongly. on Fantasy Grounds Unity, Discord Room 2
This game is NOW FULL. '''Players are Håkon, Karl, Bob Dillon and Felicity.''' 

* [[I Do Like To Be Beside the Seaside]] by [[Christopher Barrett]]  You are troops, serving under Sir Renald. At a town on his lands, people have been vanishing in the night and the fog, and the locals believe this to be the work of sea spirits. Sir Renald has sent you to investigate on behalf of his liege, and reassure the townsfolk that everything will be fine.
If you wish to bring your own companion level characters, you are welcome to do so, so long as they would fit being sent along by a mundane lord (who may have ties to a covenant)
Otherwise I will have some characters for people to play. Discord Room 3
'''
THIS GAME HAS 3 SPACES. Players are Anna, Cedric and James L.'''

'''SESSION 4''': 11.30PM through till 3.30AM Sunday morning

===SUNDAY 7TH FEBRUARY=== 

This will be the same but with three sessions (and the one that started the previous night!)

'''SESSION 1: 10AM to 2PM GMT''' 

* [[Montsegur 1244]] by [[Frederik Jensen]]. Play this highly acclaimed game in an online version with it's author. Not Ars Magica, but the story of the end of the Cathars. Powerful and tragic! See http://thoughtfulgames.com/montsegur1244/ for more details or to buy a copy. Discord Room 2

'''This game still has spaces. Players are Felicity, Frederik and Chris B.'''  
 
'''SESSION 2: 2.30PM to 6.30PM'''
* [[Looking for Eternal Life]]  by [[Anders Håkon Gaut]]; Master G of Bonisagus is (in)famous for his Quest for Eternal Life (and his extremely potent longevity potions). To this effort he will "adopt" apprentices every 7 years. Some masters will lease out their apprentice for a period, some will lose them to his Bonisagus Privilege and some will enter a second apprenticeship just to work for the Master.
This is a light-hearted and very rules light (even rules less) game in a "close to Ars Magica" setting. Discord Room 1

THIS GAMES IS NOW FULL: '''Players are Felicity, Chris B, Cedric and Sheila.'''

[[The Price of Euphoria (second run)]] by [[Sunette la Grange]], Ars Magica for up to Four players! Three apprentices and a seasoned knight investigate the motives of a mysterious cult that preach enlightenment through indulgence and pleasure. To make matters complicated, the only daughter of the local lord has managed to get herself mixed up with them and her father disapproves strongly. on Fantasy Grounds Unity, Discord Rooom 2

'''This game still has spaces.''' '''Players are Yves and Tom.'''

'''SESSION 3: 7PM to 11PM'''
* [[The Cathedral and the Bizarre]] by [[Andrew Oakley]]. Cheap magical books. on sale in the fish market! How can you stop the spread of these secrets before the mundanes do something stupid?  Discord Game Room 1 :)

T'''his game still has spaces. Players are Cedric and James L.'''

==Convention Rules==

Our [[Ethos]] and policies are available here. Please that the ANTI-HARASSMENT POLICY applies to ONLINE GAMES as much as GRAND TRIBUNAL games. If you are made uncomfortable, please message CJ or another mod at any time. Becky will also be available to discuss issues in total confidence if you do not which to raise them with an organiser. Email smith.becky@talk21.com if required.

==A Quick Guide to Software for the Convention==

Software comes in two forms for our purposes - voice chat software, and virtual table tops/dice apps. What you need will depend on the games you sign up for and what your Storyguide is using. 

===Chat Software=== 

Pretty much essential unless playing by typing, which certainly can be done and is welcome. The default though is you will need a working MICROPHONE and speakers or built in sound; so we can hear you and you can hear us. You can use a webcam if you want, though if bandwidth is an issue in a game it might be best not to at times, but usually it is nice to see the other players. Check your microphone works: you can usually do this in your software. We may be able to help with technical issues though through the Discord Server. There are several alternatives, and which are in use will depend on your Storyguide personal preference, though both Zoom and Discord will be used on Friday night and both can be installed on most PCs without any great technical expertise. If you can, having both will  always be useful, but you only use one at a time. Both Discord and Zoom work on Apple, Android or PC machines and phones.

1. '''DISCORD''' is a popular app used for gaming. [https://discord.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=advertising&utm_campaign=2020-01_google-gb-registrations-brand_exact&utm_term=ENG-Text-Chat-Desktop-NA-All-All-All&utm_content=--t%3Apa&gclid=Cj0KCQiA7qP9BRCLARIsABDaZziok809l_YpSVcQmLsQfdTtDdtyurXPImyG9x5OOoDzDW6pVlfUuoYaApF7EALw_wcB|"Discord download"]. There are useful instructions on how it works here [https://support.discord.com/hc/en-us/articles/360045138571?utm_source=discord&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=2020-06_help-new-user&utm_content=--t%3Apm|"Discord Guide"]. Your username will begin with a # symbol and have a four digit number after it, so mine is '''chrisjensenromer#7319''' and you should send me a friend request. The section you are joining (called a 'server') is called '''Image From The Wizard Torn''' and contains both text and voice channels. Text channels are good places to leave messages, and there is a space called "The Grand Tribunal" for exactly that. 

Once you have installed DISCORD you can join the convention server  [https://discord.gg/yZPAxnvcn7 Image from the Wizard Torn] here

There are also Voice Channels, which is where some games will be run, or at least the voice part of the game. Storyguides can create new text channels for individual games to share images etc as well if they wish, and I will put a dice roller in the channel so everyone can roll dice on Discord. The default for the channel by the way is not to alert you to notifications unless you are tagged by name, so if you can pop in several times this week to keep up to date with plans. 

2. '''ZOOM''' is a lot simpler to use. The Storyguide emails you a link and you click on it: this takes your to a Waiting Room, and they admit you. Each Zoom session can have a unique link. I will email everyone registered with a Zoom link for the Friday social sessions. Unlike DISCORD you do not need to create an account or do anything much beyond click on the link, but you can speed things up by installing the app now (on a phone got your APP Store) using this link, first option unless on a mobile device ["https://zoom.us/download"]. Zoom has a number of options for screen sharing and sharing files, text chat but is mainly video or voice chat.

===Virtual Tabletops (VTT)===

These are computer programs that are designed specifically for playing RPGs online. There are quite a few of them, and I will add to this list as people express an interest in using them. None of them currently offer official support to Ars Magica, but '''Fantasy Grounds''' has a very good fan built extension that works quite well. You do not need to use a VTT to play, unless your Storyguide wishes to -- some games can run in just Discord or Zoom, or even Facebook chat -- but several of the games will use this software so it is worth learning about it.

1. '''FANTASY GROUNDS''' comes in two versions, Classic or Unity. You want '''Fantasy Grounds Unity''' that only officially left development in November. We have been using it since March, and it will slowly replace the older '''Fantasy Grounds Classic''' which probably still has more users. The expansions that run on them are work on either version, but you need to download and install the right version for your Storyguide's game. In all cases so far this is FANTASY GROUNDS UNITY, not the old Classic version. Installing it also takes time, and possibly fiddling with settings, so if you plan to use it you will need to download it from here: ["https://www.fantasygrounds.com"]. You do NOT need to buy a license; only the Storyguide needs that, you can use the free demo to play endless games forever. (You can also referee games with people who have a licence). You will need to register for their forum, and create an account, then install, then run update. Updates are frequent, and to connect you must all be running the same version, so run update ten minutes before the game start.  To connect you will need the GM's user name and the password for the adventure from them.  Fantasy Grounds does not include a chat program, so you will also need to use Zoom or Discord, which ever the Storyguide specifies.

2. '''ROLL20''' This is a very simple and easy to use VTT that is incredibly popular, and free (though there are pro versions that you can license if a GM). You just need a link and a password from your Storyguide, and they will need your email to issue the invite through the program. The good news is ROLL20 has built in video and voice chat, so theoretically there is no need of Zoom or Discord -- however it is decidedly unstable at times and hard to get to work properly, so we often end up using something else for voice. There are Roll20 apps, but I don't think there is much to install, and you just learn how it works as you go. This tutorial ["https://wiki.roll20.net/Roll20_Crash_Course"] will teach you how to set up a campaign, use characters etc and is very simple to follow.

Image from the Wizard Torn convention for [http://www.atlas-games.com/ Atlas Games'] [http://www.atlas-games.com/arm5/ Ars Magica] role-playing game.